Ghana’s Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey Announced As The Incoming Secretary General Of The Commonwealth

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has been announced as the incoming Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

The announcement was made at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, Samoa on Friday, October 25, 2024.

In a post shared on X, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey expressed her appreciation for the overwhelming support of the Commonwealth Heads of Government in selecting her as the incoming Secretary-General.

She wrote;

“Truly humbled by the overwhelming support of the Commonwealth Heads of Government in selecting me as the incoming Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. The work indeed lies ahead!”

Truly humbled by the overwhelming support of the Commonwealth Heads of Government in selecting me as the incoming Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. The work indeed lies ahead! pic.twitter.com/1VnkKf6XyR

— Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (@AyorkorBotchwey) October 25, 2024

Botchwey emerged victorious against strong contenders, including Gambia’s Foreign Minister – Momodou Tangara, and Senator Joshua Setipa of Lesotho.

This victory makes her the first woman from Africa to head that global organization.

Shirley will serve as the 7th Secretary-General and is the second woman to hold the position. She succeeds The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, who was elected in 2015.

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal sovereign states with a combined population of 2.7 billion, of which more than 60 per cent is aged 29 or under.